August 15
Stanislaus Kostka (1550–1568)
Jesuit religious
Son of a rich Polish senator, Stanislaus wanted to become religious from a very young age, but his father was strictly against it.
Biography
He sent him to live with a Calvinist who did not like fervent Catholics and did not allow him to take communion. The teacher who was in charge of his studies also treated him very harshly. Stanislaus endured everything, but his desire to give his life to God was very great, and since the local superior of the Jesuits did not want to admit it so as not to antagonize his father, Stanislaus decided to go to another place and walked 500 kilometers to Rome, where the superior general of the Jesuits, Saint Francis Borja, received him with special affection. Stanislaus set out to do ordinary things extraordinarily well. He was very devoted to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, and frequently fell into ecstasy while praying in front of the Tabernacle. He died at the age of 18, just on the day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, which Stanislaus had so longed to witness in heaven. Upon canonizing him, the Holy Father declared him patron of novices and seminarians.
Practical advice
Trusting in God's grace, brighten family life with a simple detail and offer that effort for someone who needs help.